We love that this ship sails out of New Orleans which is 3.5 hours away from us. No flying! We enjoy getting the "free" perks that come with booking, too. It was interesting to see, though, that the gratuity on the drink packages and dining packages went from 18% when we cruised last February to 20% in February of this year.

The luggage drop off is extremely easy and convenient. Because we booked an aft penthouse suite, we had priority embarkation which was so quick. As soon as we got our key cards, our concierge helped us book the last two restaurants and we had just a bite from the lovely snack bar that was available. Then we were personally escorted onto the ship. Our room wasn't quite ready so we were taken to the suite/haven guests only dining area. There was even a special elevator to take us there which saved standing in the long line of people at the elevator banks.

The specialty restaurants are all so delicious and service is immaculate. Our favorite is Le Bistro. Cagny's and La Cucina come in second and third. We ate at the MDR one night, though, and were disappointed in the service as well as the food. It was okay, but I guess dining at the other restaurants first made our standards a little higher. Read more